How to Light and Care for a Candle

A well-kept candle burns more evenly, lasts longer and smokes less. The care it needs is simple, but it makes a difference — especially the first time you light it.

The first burn matters

With a container candle, let it burn the first time until the wax has melted across the whole surface, edge to edge. If you put it out sooner, the wax forms a "tunnel" around the wick and the candle will always burn down the middle, wasting the wax at the sides. Depending on the diameter, this can take one to three hours.

Trim the wick

Before each use, with the candle cold, trim the wick to about 5 mm. A long wick gives a tall, unsteady flame, smokes and leaves soot. Also remove any bits of burnt wick or matches that have fallen into the wax.

How long to burn

As a general rule, do not burn a candle for more than three to four hours at a time. After that, put it out, let it cool and set, trim the wick and only then light it again.

How to put it out

Blowing works, but it spreads smoke and can splash wax. It is better to use a candle snuffer or, with container candles, to dip the wick into the liquid wax with a metal tool and straighten it straight away: no smoke, and the wick is ready for next time.

Where to place it

On a stable, flat, heat-resistant surface.
Away from draughts, which make the flame flicker and the candle burn unevenly.
Clear of curtains, paper, dried plants and other flammable materials.
Out of reach of children and pets.

Sculptural candles, without a container

A shaped candle — a heart, a shell, a figure — has no container to hold the wax. If you light it, always stand it on a plate or a heat-resistant base with room to spare, because the wax runs and the shape changes. For that reason many people prefer to keep them intact as decorative objects. Both choices are fine; just decide before you light it.

How to store it

Soy wax is sensitive to heat and light. Keep candles somewhere cool and dry, away from direct sun and heat sources, so they do not warp or fade. Dust comes off with a soft, dry cloth.

Safety, in three lines

Never leave a burning candle unattended.
Put it out before leaving the room or going to bed.
Do not move a candle while it is lit or while the wax is still liquid.

To understand the material better, read soy wax vs paraffin: what is the difference. And discover our scented candles and decorative candles, made by hand in Porto.